1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recreational vehicle safety system for use in conjunction with a recreational vehicle's fuel supply to its appliances and more particularly to an automatic shutoff valve assembly and sensor to automatically shutoff the flow of fuel to the appliances if certain abnormal conditions are present in the recreational vehicle.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Recreational vehicles, better known to some as campers, began appearing on the American highways in the 1950's. From their inception, Americans became fond of these vehicles and they have become increasingly apparent on our highways since the late 1960's.
In their infancy, recreational vehicles were crude devices, simply tents erectable over a portable carriage which hooked onto the rear of the standard American automobile. However, over the years they have been refined. Now they include their own engines, separate passenger compartments and especially their own appliances, such as stoves, refrigerators and hot water heaters. These appliances are usually powered by gas, supplied in portable high-pressure propane tanks.
With these new recreational vehicle advances have also come increasingly apparent safety problems, especially related to the fuel supply to the appliances. During a crash, a high-pressure propane tank can be torn from the vehicle to spray highly flamable gas onto the recreational vehicle. Another potential problem is that the pilot light in the stove can go out and gas can leak into the camper while the passengers sleep. If there is a slow leak in the fuel line and a vacationer enters with a lit cigarette, the recreational vehicle can blow up.
The valving art, per se, includes many automatic shutoff valves of various types and designs which can automatically shutoff the flow of liquid or gas in a pipe when certain conditions are detected, usually when a downstream pipe has ruptured and the flow must be stopped.
Additionally, prior automatic shutoff valves generally provide no indication that they have been engaged other than the flow from the pipe has stopped. But, in a recreational vehicle safety system it is essential to know when the automatic valve has been engaged so that the proper warning signals can be given to alert the passengers.
Finally, prior automatic shutoff valves have provided relatively cumbersome reset mechanisms when an external reset was deemed necessary. These reset mechanisms have included the dismantling of the valve itself. But a recreational vehicle is sometimes located far in the wilderness, remote from needed tools and expert mechanical assistance. Therefore, if the temporary problem can be solved, it would be highly desirable to include easily operated resets.
To date, no known prior art has met the requirements peculiar to the needs of a recreational vehicle safety system.
U.S. Pat. Nos. of general interest are H. F. Storer, et. al, 1,013,695; D. Magowan, Jr., 2,929,399; J. F. Machen, 3,106,226; J. L. Follett, 3,407,827; Bauer, 3,661,173; Sweeney, 3,664,368; and Sumner et al., 3,807,442.